Fountain drafting instrument



Dec. 13, 1955 s. A. HACKMYER FOUNTAIN DRAFTING INSTRUMENT Filed March 5, 1954 Fica.5.

INVENTOR. SAUL A. HACKMYER,

M. ATTORNLK FiG.4:.

United States Patent FOUNTAIN DRAFIIN G INSTRUMENT Saul A. Hackmyer, Miami Beach, Fla., assignor to Ansol Company, Inc., Miami Beach, Fla., a corporation of Florida Application March 3, 1954, Serial No. 413,837

1 Claim. (Cl. 12045.4)

This invention relates to improvements in fountain pens and has particular reference to a new and useful fountain feed drafting pen.

The invention has for its object the provision of a drafting pen wherein is disposed a renewable ink containing capsule having a self contained feed plunger and with the pen provided with .a novel form of removable feed tube to conduct the ink from the capsule to a point adjacent the nibs of the pen.

The invention further contemplates in combination with a renewable ink containing capsule, a feed tube that is constructed to automatically pierce the lower end of the capsule when the capsule is inserted to operative position within the barrel of the pen.

The invention further contemplates novel means for rigidly supporting the feed tube for accurate positioning to pierce the capsule and for maintaining the lower discharge end in accurate position for discharging the ink to the pen nibs.

Details of construction and operation will be more readily apparent during the course of the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevation of a pen constructed in accordance with the invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof,

Figure 3 is a central vertical section, taken substantially on line 3--3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of associated elements in a position prior to assembly,

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a feed tube embodied in the invention and,

Figure 6 is. an enlarged transverse section, taken on line 6--6 of Figure 3.

Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates the instrument as a whole, embodying a conventional form of drafting pen having adjustable and spring tensioned nibs 6, and 6 preferably formed integral with a cylindrical head 7. The nibs 6 and 6' are adjustable toward and from each other in the usual manner, by a knurled nut 8, threaded upon a screw 9. The screw 9 carries a preferably rounded head 10, whereby the screw may be relatively fixed with one nib 6. Any desirable means may be employed to mount the screw 9. As shown, the screw 9 passes through apertures formed in the nibs and has no threaded connection therewith.

As clearly shown in Figure 3, the head 7 is fixed in any desirable manner within the bore of an elongated tubular nut 11, the outer surface of which is knurled for its major length, as at 12. The nut 11 is internally threaded inwardly from its upper end, as at 13, for a threaded coupling connection with a threaded cylindrical extension 14, formed upon the lower end of a cylindrical barrel 15. The barrel 15 forms a handle, through the medium of which the instrument may be conveniently manipulated. The barrel is open at its upper end and the bore 16 thereof,

terminates adjacent the extension 14 in a flat bottom 17. The extension 14 is axially drilled to form an opening 18, that extends through the bottom 17, to provide a passage for the upper end of a feed tube, to be presently described. The head 7 is likewise drilled axially throughout its length, as at 7a and with the opening 7a being in axial alignment with the opening 18, at assembly. The opening 7a is substantially identical in diameter to the opening 18 and likewise provides a passage for the feed tube.

The feed tube 19, shown more clearly in Figures 3 and 5, is preferably formed of a metal that is calculated to resist corrosion, such metal preferably being of the type recognized as stainless steel and which will withstand the corrosive effects of ink commonly employed in drafting or the like. The tube 19 at its upper end is bevelled and sharpened, as at 20, to form a piercing point. Downwardly from its upper end 20, the tube 19 is provided with a fixed stop collar 21. The tube 19, at assembly, is positioned through the opening 7a to a point where its stop collar 21 rests upon the upper end of the head 7. In this position, the upper end of the tube extends above the nut 11, while its lower portion extends downwardly substantially parallel to the nib 6, to terminate slightly above the normal sharpened end of the nib. To prevent lateral displacement of the tube with respect to the nib 6, the screw 9 has been drilled transversely to form an opening 22, through which the tube 19 extends, thus providing a novel means for maintaining the tube in an accurate position to discharge the ink directly upon the nib 6', where it will readily flow to the points of the pen. The tube 19 is quickly and easily removed from the pen for cleaning or replacement. Since the collar normally seats upon the top of the head 7, it will obviously be disposed at the bottom of the threaded bore 13. Thus, when the barrel extension 14 is engaged with the coupling nut 11, the upper end of the tube 19 will extend upwardly through the opening 18 and for a predetermined distance inwardly of the barrel opening 16 axially thereof and, when fully coupled, the terminal end of the extension 14 will bear against the collar 21 for a firm seating and positioning of the tube 19.

Since the instrument of the present invention is of the fountain feed type, means must be provided in a simple and economical manner to furnish a renewable ink supply. To this end, there has been provided an elongated cylindrical capsule 23, preferably formed of glass, but it should be understood that the invention is not restricted to the use of any particular material therefor. The capsule is formed open throughout and its lower end is closed by a puncturable disc 24, preferably formed of rubber. The disc is firmly held against the end of the capsule, by a ferrule 25, cemented or otherwise fixedly engaged with the reduced end portion of the capsule in order that the circumferential wall of the ferrule will be flush with the outer Wall of the capsule. The overlying portion of the ferrule is centrally apertured to expose a relatively small area of the disc, shown at 26 and this exposed area will, at assembly, be concentric with the opening 18 and in line with the extended upper end of the tube 19. The disc 24 normally forms a seal for the lower end of the capsule. The upper end of the capsule 23 is counterbored to form a shoulder 27, providing a seat for a compression spring 28. A cap 29 is fixedly positioned over the upper end of the capsule 23 and this cap forms a stop for the upward movement of a plunger 30, having a cylindrical plunger button 31 operating through a centrally disposed opening 32 formed in the cap. The spring 28 simultaneously bears against the shoulder 27 and the plunger 30. The plunger 30 in its inoperative position will effectively seal the opening 32 of the cap against the leakage of ink. The button 31 is of a length to provide a predetermined movement of the plunger in order to feed approximately three drops of ink to the tube 19. The diameter of the capsule is such as to have a free sliding movement into the barrel to a point where it will rest against the fiat bottom 17, in which position the upper end of the capsule will extend above the upper end of the barrel a distance equal to the height of the cap 29. The lower marginal edge of the cap will thus be disposed against the upper end of the barrel and provide a gripping medium whereby the capsule may be easily and conveniently engaged with or removed from the barrel.

In the use of the device, assuming that the parts are in their disassembled relation, as in Figure 4, the operator first engages the feed tube downwardly through the opening 7a and guides the lower end thereof through the opening 22 of the screw 9. Downward movement is limited by the abutment of thecollar against the head 7. The sharpened end 2t) of the tube now is disposed a substantial distance above the coupling nut 11. The barrel 15 is then engaged over the upper end of the tube 19, with the tube passing through the opening 18. The barrel is then rotated to firmly engage the extension 14 within the threaded bore 13 of the nut 11 to a point where the lower end of the extension binds against the collar 21, in which position the upper end of the nut 1.1 engages the shoulder of the lower end of the barrel. A loaded capsule is then selected and engaged within the barrel and, since the end 29 of the tube projects into the barrel, the exposed area of the disc 24 will be engaged by and punctured by the sharpened end of the tube. The capsule 23 is forced downwardly until it has a seat upon the fiat bottom 17, in which position the end 20 of the tube will enter the body of ink. The operator then presses downwardly upon the button 31, creating a pressure upon the column of ink and force a predetermined quantity of the ink downwardly through the tube 19 to be discharged from the lower open end thereof to the nibs of the pen. When the capsule has been exhausted, it is withdrawn and discarded and a new capsule substituted therefor. In the event that the tube 19 should become caked with ink, a slender wire, not shown, may be inserted therethrough or, the tube may be completely removed with a minimum of effort by separating the barrel and the coupling nut and then withdrawing the tube. Withdrawing the tube 19 from the punctured disc 24 will not create a leakage, since the disc is self sealing.

It will be apparent from the foregoing, that a very simple and highly convenient means has been provided to produce a controlled flew of ink in a drafting or similar pen. The complete device readily lends itself to manufacture from various materials and the structural features thereof greatly facilitate the manufacture in an economical manner and in various sizes. The renewable ink capsule creates a novel ink supply that may be produced in an extremely economical manner and avoids the many objectionable features of fountain pens heretofore employed. The renewable capsule also has the desirable feature of permitting the use of various ink colors, since the capsule may be easily removed and one of a ditferent color substituted without loss of ink or leakage.

It is to be understood, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily come within the spirit of the invention and as determined by the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A fountain ruling pen comprising a barrel to serve as a handle and having a main bore and a bottom and an open top, said bottom having a screw-threaded extension integral therewith and projecting longitudinally below said bottom, said bottom and extension having a reduced longitudinal bore formed therein and leading into the main bore of the barrel, an ink holding receptacle removably mounted within the main bore of the barrel and having a puncturable end, a head having a longitudinal bore, a pair of ruling pen nibs formed integral with the lower end of the head, the bore of the head extending between said nibs, a single elongated feed tube removably mounted within the bore of the head and the reduced bore of the bottom of the barrel and the extension, the upper end of the feed tube projecting into the bore of the barrel and puncturing the puncturable end of said receptacle, the lower end of the single feed tube extending longitudinally beyond said head and arranged between said nibs and terminating near the lower ends of said nibs, means to hold the lower end of said single tube in substantial contact with one nib, a collar secured to the feed tube at its intermediate portion and held against longitudinal movement on said single feed tube, said collar being arranged between the ends of said extension and said head carrying the nibs to contact therewith and be held thereby against movement longitudinally of said barrel, and a tubular nut receiving the head carrying the nibs therein and secured to said head and extending upwardly beyond such head and having an internal screw-threaded portion to receive said screw-threaded extension, said collar being arranged within the tubular nut when the tubular nut connects said extension and the head carrying the nibs, the arrangement being such that the head carrying the nibs may be easily separated from said extension and the single tube quickly removed from the bores formed in said extension and said head carrying the nibs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 394,634 Zwicker Dec. 18, 1838 445,944 Birkmire Feb. 3, 1891 1,038,743 Gilbert Sept. 17, 1912 2,053,892 Beck Sept. 8, 1936 2,367,471 Olivera Jan. 16, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 28,254 Great Britain 1910 

